Game device for tick-tack-toe



- Aug. 13, 1957 1. R F 2,802,668

GAME DEVICE} FOR TICK-TACK-TOE Y Filed June s, 1955 2 I FIG.4

INVENT OR United S a 2,802,668 GAME DEVICE FORYTICK-TACK-TOE Stanley J. Greif, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 8,1953, Serial No; 360,109 1 Claim. or. 273-130)" 1 My invention relates to circular rotating discs and moveable slide-rules in combination; also to score-card recording means, and more particularly to an automatic device for playing the, game of tick-tack-toe without an opposing player.

The game of tick-tack-toe has always been quite fascinating and wit-matching to both young and old, and in this age of robots and mechanical thinking machines my midget brain toy-game is especially entertaining and amusing, besides being very simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct. An advantage in 'the cons truction'of the device is the use of such common materials as cardboard, fibre-board, plastics, or any other such desirable materials. This AUTOmatic. game of ticTACtoe that I call AUTO-TAC will"always"winjfor tie and neverlose against any player. I An object of this invention is to bring the game of ticktack-toe down to its simplest form and lowest number of mathematically determined pattern combinations, which this device has successfully accomplished.

Another object is to provide an apparatus with a rotating circular disc and a vertical slide rule in combination to aid in the display of a limited series. of numerical scales and numerical determined patterns.

A further object is to provide a simple and efiective means for recording the moves in the game on an improved permanently mounted score-board, and for lightning clearance of the score-board to begin a new try at beating the machine.

Still further objects will make themselves apparent from the description ofthedevicethat-follows 4...,

I attain theseobjects b'y mechanism illustrated'in the" accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rectangular race-career face-board;

Fig. 2, a narrow vertical slide-rule, card or board;

Fig. 3, a magic slate score-card; and i Fig. 4, a rotating circular Ca1' d"Ol"dlSC.'-

In detail, Fig. 1 represents the face" card "with it's adjoining and connecting partsoutlinedl Slots 1 'and.1 accommodate the vertical slide-rule; window 2 i'scovered by part of the vertical slide-rule, and helps to display the numerical patterns printed in *the' eight sectional boxes on the circular card, one horizontal line at a time, as provided by the limited window space inside the body of the arrow on the vertical slide-rule; window-A displays the scale-A numbers in the first move by the player as he rotates the circular card; window-B, directly above window-A, displays the scale-B numbers, one at a time, which are the devices first countermoves to the players first or A-moves; the scale-C numbers are printed directly on the face card. as shown, from which the player chooses his second move, and in order to disclose thedevices next countermove the player moves the vertical-anaemia until- I the head of the arrow on it points to the number' he'" has chosen, thereby revealing the countermove as scale D seen through the horizontal window inside the 'arrow at the extreme left. I

Patented Aug. 13, 1957 head of the arrow and window 2 inside the shaft of the arrow. For the final move on the indicated scales, the player chooses a number on scale-E printed along the lower border of the arrow and then looks for the devices last countermove to it directly above the number so chosen as it appears inside window-2 as one of a horizontal row of numbers. If the game has not here, or on the earlier move, terminated with a win for the device, the player has demonstrated good playing ability by bringing it to a tie or draw.

Fig. 3 shows the recording or score-card with the standard scheme of nine boxes imprinted on the underside of a transparent overlay. For purposes of identification the boxes have been numbered consecutively from 1 through 9 as shown. The boxes may be given other identifying figures or letters. The novel transparent overlay with the indelibly printed classical design of nine boxes toor the game.

gether with the permanent X-mark of the devices first move in box-3 is attached to the surface of a so-called magic slate which consists of a base of black gummy wax and a milky cellophane cover, the latter becoming attached to the former at points where any writing or inscribing is done.

Fig. 4 contains all of the countermove schemes of numbers and the eight corresponding determined patterns that together constitute the distinguishing automatic feature The larger circle of A-figures make up the scale-A numbers from which the player chooses his first move. After he has done so and has brought the chosen number into window-A by rotating the circular card, a corresponding number from the smaller scale-B circle of numbers will simultaneously make its appearance through window-B on the face card. This number is the devices first countermove. The player then moves to scale-C (Fig. 1) for his next chosen box number or move. He raises the vertical slide-rule until the head of the. arrow on it points to the chosen number, and reads thesimultaneously appearing number inside the horizontal window along the arrow-shaft and under the arrow-point of scale-D. After recording these moves in the appropriate boxes with O-marks for the player and X-marks for i the countermove, it then remains for the player to. make GROUP I (P-S) (All box numbers based upon Fig. 3)

Devices first movebox #3 (permanent) Players first movebox #1 (window A) 4 Devices first countermovebox #9 (window B-) g ,2 d ri ts. the s i er iil. tbei Players second move--any remaining box number on scale-C Scale-O Scale-D Scale-E Devicessecond countermove in scale-D next to players second move on scale-C Players third move selected from remaining boxes under sca1eE Devices third countermove obtained by reading number from row determined by players second move (scale-- C) and column determined by players third move (scale-E). The intersection of. the row and column" is the devices third countermove This group I is terminated by a win for the device either before or at the time of the third countermove GROUP II (P-6) Devices first movebox #3 (permanent) Players first movebox #2 (window A) Devices first countermovebx (Window B Players second move-any remaining, box number on scale-C Scale-C Scale-D 12456789 Scale-E Devices second countermove in scale-D next to players second move on scale-C Players third move selected from remaining boxes under scale-E Devices third countermove obtained from intersection of the row made by players second move (on scale-C) and the column obtained from the players third move (on scaleE) This group II is terminated by a win for the device either before or at the time of the third countermove.

GROUP III (P-7) Devices first move-box #3 (permanent) Players first m0vebox #4 (window A) Devices first countermove-box #9 (window B) Players second move-any remaining box number on scale-C Scale-C Scale-D 12456789 Scale-E Information for determination of second and third countermoves same as for group I GROUP IV (P-8) Devices first movebox #3 (permanent) Players first move-box #5 (window A) Devices first countermove-box #7 (window B) Players second move-any remaining box number on scale-C Scale-C Scale-D Scale-E 4 a 7 Information on determination of second and third countermoves same as for group I If the game is not terminated after the third countermove, then the player makes his fourth move by selecting one 5 of the two remaining boxes. The devices fourth countermove is the last remaining box The results of group IV will be either a win for the device Devices first move.--box #3" (permanent) Players first move-box #7 (window A) Devices first countermove-box #9 (window B) Players second move-any remaining box number on scale- Ci w Scale- I scale-p" 1 2 4 5 6 7 s 9 Scale-E For determining second and third countermoves, same as group I GROUP v11 (1 -3) Devices first move-box #3 (permanent) Players first move--b,ox #8 (window A) Devices first countcrmoye-box #1 (window B) Players second move-any. remaining box number on scale-C r v Scale-C Scale-D 1 2 4-5 6 7s 9 Scale-E For determining 'siecondandthird countermoves, same as GROUP VIII Devices first'movwbox'ifl (permanent) Playersfirst move--box #9 (window A) a Devices first countermovw-box- #1 (window B) V.

Players second move-any remaining box number on scale-C 12456789 Scale-E Information for determining second and third countermoves same as for group I I claim:

In combination, constituting an automatic game device of tick-tack-toe, a circular disc containing appropriately imprinted numerals arranged within eight symmetrical sections as shown, centrally grommeted to a face-plate for rotation; two windows in the face-plate to have one window for a players first selected move and the other window for a countermove; a third window larger than said two windows in the face-plate for viewing the countermoves; a numerical scale imprinted on the face-plate adjoining the third window for the players second move selection; two grooves cut into the face-plate one above and one below the larger window for the accommodation of a supplementary vertical slide to move in and out of the face-plate within the same plane of the face-plate; a scale imprinted on the vertical slide for the players third move selection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,168,729 Krebs Jan. 18, 1916 2,215,544 Condon Sept. 24, 1940 2,290,266 Bechtold July 21, 1942 2,391,520 Smith Dec. 25, 1945 2,404,563 Berliner July 23, 1946 2,451,979 Rosenblum Oct. 19, 1948 2,697,884 Dechert Dec. 28, 1954 

